Stabilizer for bedsprings



Dec. 25, 1928. 1,696,291

J. T. ATKINSON STAB ILI ZER FOR BEDSPRINGS Filed Feb. 7, 1 7

Patented Dec. 25, 1928.

J ROME r. ATKINSON, or BAYSIDE, NEW YORK;

STABILIZER FOR BEDSPRINGS. 7

Application filed February 7, 1927. Serial No. 166,877.

The present invention relates to improve ments in bed spring construction as well as springs for other furniture and has for its main object to brace the bed-springin horizontal direction while permitting great fieXibility in vertical direction. In other words, the device is intended to prevent the spreading or lateral movement of the border wires or rods which connect the upper ends ofthe coil springs. \Vhen a person reclines on top of the bed-spring it will sag down in the middle instead ofgiving away at the edge; that is to say, stabilize the bed because of the greater resistance at the edges imparted by the combined action of the coiled springs and the stabilizers as compared with the action of the coiled springs alone in the middle of the bed. This will give greater comfort to the person reclining and prevent accidents by his tumbling off the bed when turning.

The stabilizer is essentially a one-piece contrivance, thatis to say, itis preferably constructed of a single piece of spring steel or other metal but may also be built up of severalpieces permanently secured together to form a unit withouthinge-joint or extra springs as will be evident from the following description.

The invention. is illustratet panying drawing, and

Figure 1 shows atragmentary perspective view of a bed spring with my device installed Figure 2, a fragmentary section of a bed spring with my device in modified form installed thercin;

Figure 3 shows still another modification of my stabilizer as applied to a bed spring shown in transverse section;

Figure 4 is a similar fragmentary view of still another modification of the device, a top plan view being shown in Figure 5; and,

Figure 6 is a minor modification of Figure 1. r

In the drawing reference numeral (10) represents one of the side rails of a supporting frame connected to its opposite mate by straps or cross members (11). The latter support the usual coiled springs (12), the outer ones of which have their uppermost coil tied by wire or the like, as at (13), to a reinforcing rod orborder wire (14). The c nstru ti n de o. tar is sim ar t l in the accomthe usual bed springs and forms no part of my invention; 1

My stabilizer consists preferably of a piece of spring steel wire looped as at (15) and having an upper arm (16) and a lower arm (17) shown as being attached to the flat top of the side rail (10) by meansof a strap (18), oritmay be secured thereto in any other suitable manner as by rivets, bolts or welding. 7

The upper arm (16) stabilizer terminates with an eye (19) which loosely grips the rod or border wire (14) in order to obtain a hinged connection therewith The stabilizer may be made of round, square, or fiat bars or rods of other cross sections and may have'straight or curved arms which latter preferably form with each other the letter V. The loop (15) at the apex of the V points inwardly from the almost perpendicularly above the end of arm (17) whereit is held by the strap (18) to the side rail (10). i

)Vhen a person reclines on top of the bed spring or when. it is loaded in any other manner, the inner coil sprin s (12) are compressed more than those a ong the border because the latter are assisted by the stabilizers gripping the'border wire or rod 14, i

so that a. greater resistance is set up along the border than cent-rally ot the bed spring. As a consequence the top will sag more in the middle than at the border. This will avoid accidents such as a person rolling off the bed on account of the edge giving away under load.

Because of the peculiar construction of the stabilizer and the perpendicular relative position of the ends of the arms (16) and (17 no outward or lateral movement can. take place of the border wire or rod (14). This tends to preserve the life of the coiled springs as their top coils, being tied ,to each other, will experience no lateral strain or be deformed thereby when there Will only be vertical compression. The exclusion of pivin Figure 2 is identical in action and appli- V of the onepiece I edge or border and the eye (19) is situated cation to theform shown in Figure 1 but differs therefrom by the fact that the stabilizer here is constructed of two pieces permanently secured together. The upper arm is as before made from spring wire looped at (26) and its free end terminating in an eye (27) that embraces the border wire or rod (let). Below the loop this arm is preferably flattened out as at (28) and fixed- 1y secured as by rivets to the upper end of the other arm (29) which in this case may be riveted directly to the flat top of the side rail (10) as indicated at (30).

In the modification shown in Figure 3, the stabilizer extends across the bed spring and is preferably. made in one piece from a steel spring band secured in the middle as at to one of the cross members (11) of the bottom frame. The two arms (36) of the stabilizer extend upwardly and may be either straight or curved. Each of the arms terminates with an. eye (37) which loosely engages the border wire or rod (14) so as to make a hinge connection therewith. I11 this case the same additional resistance is furnished for the coil springs along the border and no squeaking joints are to be found as the arms (36) form a unit.

In Figure at the stabilizer is bifurcated and embracing the coil spring 12; that is to say, the two spring arms (40) extend only about half across the spring bed. The lower end (41) is riveted or otherwise secured to the middle portion of one of the cross members (11) and rises from there upwardly until it reachesv the border wire or red (14) which it loosely engages with its terminal eyes 12), one on each side of spring (12), (see Figure 5).

hen in the claim the expression furniture springs is used, this is meant to include bed springs as well as such used for morris chairs, davenports, setteee, and the like.

It is to be understood that the invention as here disclosed is not limited to the details of construction shown and described and that these may be varied widely without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claim.

In Figure (5 is shown a modified manner of securing the arm (17) of the stabilizer to the bottom side rail (10). In this case the end of the arm is indicated as bent as at (45) and riveted or welded to the rail.

Still another advantage gained by using this stabilizer is the prevention of side sway of the mattress and bed spring caused by a person turning over or moving in the bed due to the fact that the stabilizers grip firmly the border rods (14).

I claim:

In a furniture spring having a bottom frame, a series of coiled springs seated thereon and reinforcing side rods connecting certain of ,the coiled springs, the combination with V-shaped stabilizers therefor-reach of said stabilizers comprising a Hat member and a round wire member, said wire member having an eye pivotally engaging one of the said rods, a loop formed on the wire member secured to one end of the flat member to form an elbow therewith, the other end of the flat member being bent to provide a foot secured to the bottom frame, said members being flexible, thereby permitting a vertical movement of the side rods when. under a load, substantially as set forth. i

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at New York, New York, this 19th day of January, A. D. nineteen hundred and twenty-seven.

. JEROME T. ATKINSON 

